Insider Report: Driver's attempted three-point turn sparks big row

For me, one of the most stressful parts of driving is having to sit and wait in a parking lot as someone attempts to get into or out of a parking spot. It is infuriating that some drivers just have absolutely no idea how to park a car. They shouldn’t even have a licence! I imagine that is how many of the people in the video below were feeling.

Shot from a balcony by a resident of the Italian town of Cardito, we see a gent in his new Fiat 500 who seems to have been attempting a three-point turn in a narrow old street. This should be a cinch of a parking job for the little car. But instead, the scene plays out like something from a Monty Python flick (or the three-point scene from the first Austin Powers movie).

The 500 is blocking the road, as traffic builds on either side. Then come the bikers, who are followed by a religious procession of some sort. At one point a dried leg of pork can be seen dangling from a motorcycle. I kid you not. I don’t understand Italian, but even I can grasp that the driver refuses even the police officer’s offers of assistance. In the end, it takes the intervention of a holy man to end the nine-minute long ordeal!

Over the years there have been some car manufacturers who have taken the creation of small personal transportation a bit more seriously than the blokes at Top Gear. Not too much more seriously mind you, but seriously enough that there have been enough built to allow Bruce Weiner to stuff a museum full of the things. The museum is now closed and Canadian classic car sales superpower RM Auctions are going to be liquidating the collection in Madison, Georgia, on Feb. 15 and 16. To market the fun collection, they have put together some equally fun videos.

For the record, I would like to get my hands on the winged, tire smoking monster in this first video. Somehow I don’t think I would fit inside it though.

Ernie’s Dwarf Cars

While I’m on the topic of little cars, meet Ernie Adams. The 72-year-old builds cars. Unlike some gearheads who build kit cars or hot rods though, Ernie builds miniature versions of older classics. Then he drives them and keeps them. To get some perspective, look at the image above. On the right is a normal sized gas pump!

Away from the track, Canadian racer Paul Tracy has developed a reputation for his obsession with machines that go fast and look cool. Over the years, Paul’s love of customizing motorcycles has evolved into a style that is unique to him and includes deeply sculpted body pieces and incorporated saddle bags. This has led Tracy to create his own line of custom motorcycle body parts called Black Label Baggers. The line includes bags, tank overlays and rear fenders molded from fiberglass. These are custom parts that require fit and finish to become a finished part of your project. Learn more here. Have a look around the site, as Paul has some bikes for sale in there too!

Meet Shinya Kimura @ Chabott Engineering

Every now and then I come across someone whose talents with metal just blow me away. Shinya Kimura is one of those guys. Born in Tokyo and now living and creating in California, Kimura builds bikes that have soul. Bikes that look just right. Bikes that are made by the hand of a magician.